


Monstrous

by Tarlan



Category: Eureka
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Het Relationship, M/M, Mad Scientists, Spook Me Multi-Fandom Halloween Ficathon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-21 11:00:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2465822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Who is truly the monster?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Monstrous

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nanuk_dain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/gifts).



> Written for LJ's **Spook_me** 2014 Halloween challenge. I chose the prompt MAD SCIENTIST.

   

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"He's alive!" Doctor Johann Zomstein proclaimed as the monitor picked up the heart beat after Zomstein sent several million volts of electricity through the collection of body parts that had been carefully reconnected using the latest microsurgery techniques.

This was the culmination of a lifetime of research and intricate surgery into determining what makes something alive or dead. He had his answer now as the creature took its first breath into its transplanted lungs. He had created life, and if that didn't get him the Nobel Prize for Medicine then there was no justice in this world.

As he watched the large chest rise and fall, the lines of scars marking the Y-incision stretched but the stitching held.

As yet the other monitor showed only minimal brain activity but Zomstein was convinced the creature was slowly awakening, cell by cell, neuron by neuron. It was exhilarating, and he fumbled for his PDA, firing off an email to Allison Blake, the Head of the Advanced Medical Research Department at Global Dynamics in Eureka.

Zomstein wished his brother, and fellow researcher, had been present for this awakening though in a sense Tomas was here, or at least parts of him were here. Zomstein lovingly stroked the creature's short brown hair and stared down into a face mostly hidden behind a protective mask. He glanced up as brain activity increased, more excited with each passing minute as he waited for the eyelids to open. He saw movement behind the lids just before they began to flicker, slowly opening.

Familiar pale blue eyes stared up at him, seemingly without recognition but that was to be expected. He was anticipating a little brain damage from the blow to the back of the head when Tomas had fallen awkwardly, after Johann drugged him. The soft brown hair, taken from another body, covered the area of splintered skull that Zomstein had painstakingly glued back together.

The mouth opened and a gurgling noise came forth.

"You are alive," Zomstein stated as recognition and shock slowly filled the pale eyes of the monster, and Zomstein gave a triumphant cry.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Allison glanced down at her PDA to check her messages and frowned when she spotted one from Johann Zomstein. Back in the other time line, Nathan had closed down the Zomsteins' line of research and had both redacted. As the D.O.D. liaison at the time, Allison had looked over their work and had agreed on principle. Walter Perkins' cloning breakthrough along with Nathan's own research into Artificial Intelligence, Cryogenics and robotics had made the Zomsteins' experiments both outdated, cruel, and unnecessary. And, quite frankly, she had silently agreed with Jack's less than polite description of Johann, the older Zomstein brother, as giving him the creeps. She had argued on behalf of Tomas but couldn't convince him to remain in Eureka without his brother. 

Unlike his younger brother, Johann Zomstein had a tendency to stare at anyone who crossed his path - not the whole person but at particular body parts - and Jack had thought the man was a sex pervert for constantly staring at his ass and Jo's breasts until Allison mentioned the Zomsteins' research. After that Jack had called them the Frankensteins. Of course he had insisted on handling the redaction despite being creeped out by Johann, and for once Jo had not complained about his 'chivalry'.

"Allison?"

She glanced up and gave Nathan an apologetic smile. Of all of them she had been luckiest in this new time line. Kevin was no longer autistic, she was head of medical research, which gave her more time to spend with Kevin and Jenna... and Nathan was still alive.

"Problem?" he asked and she waved him aside.

"Johann Zomstein has made a breakthrough in his research."

Nathan frowned. "Hmm. About the only time I can recall agreeing with Carter. Explain to me again why you didn't want them redacted?" His lips twitched into a smirk. "Although I can agree with Johann's taste in body parts. Carter does have a fine ass."

She blinked and quickly covered her surprise at his open appreciation of Jack - physically at least - but she must not have been quick enough because he rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's still oblivious."

She smiled genuinely this time as she thought of Jack, relieved that she hadn't aroused Nathan's suspicions regarding her and the others who had returned from 1947 only three weeks earlier. Apart from a few small mistakes that had gone unnoticed, they had all settled back into their new positions in the town. Even Fargo had taken to his role as Head of Section 4 with few difficulties, though he still occasionally slipped back into ' _assistant_ ' mode. Fortunately, Nathan seemed to accept that as normal behavior from Fargo.

"It's late but I ought to go check out Doctor Zomstein's claim."

"Not without Carter," Nathan ordered firmly. "Allie, I wasn't joking when I said I agreed with Carter for once. Carter seems to have an uncanny sixth sense about certain people, and to use his words, Johann Zomstein gives me the creeps."

"Fine. I'll round up Carter before I head over there."

She was already speed-dialing Jack by the time she reached Nathan's office door; Jack answered after a few rings.

"Carter? I need you to accompany me to an off-site lab."

"Uh, Sure, Allison. Send me the address." She sent the information and didn't have to wait long for a response. "Zomstein?" he exclaimed. "They're still here?"

"Jack," she warned softly, reminding him that they had to keep a low profile until they were sure they had got away with the time traveling.

He sighed heavily. "I know the place. I'll meet you there in twenty."

Allison had almost made it onto the main floor below Nathan's office before she heard sharp footsteps following behind her, turning to find Nathan approaching rapidly.

"Thank you," she added, finishing her call.

"That Carter?" Nathan asked innocently enough but Allison had known him long enough to see beneath the air of diffidence.

"What do you want, Nathan?" she asked as she stowed her cell back into her pocket.

"I thought I'd go with you." Before she could object he added, "I was heading out for the night anyway... and I am the Head of Global Dynamics so, technically, the Zomsteins work for me."

Allison hid a slightly sour smile.

When they returned from 1947 to find Nathan alive she was overjoyed, but it had been obvious from the moment she stepped inside her house that she was living there alone, with just the two children. Even the few reminders of Nathan that she had kept after his death were missing. No forgotten t-shirts were in the laundry basket and the bathroom contained none of the products that Nathan liked to use, or even a spare toothbrush for the nights when he had stayed over.

Aware that they had to be cautious to avoid being sanctioned by the D.O.D., she and the others had casually dropped a few remarks in Café Diem and Vincent was more than happy to pick up on the cues and gossip away.

It seemed that on that same fateful wedding day in this time line, Fargo had managed to come up with an alternative way to accelerate the photon at the last moment, but for one whole minute this Nathan had believed he was going to be erased from time. She knew the fear must have jolted him into reassessing his priorities and, apparently, he had turned up to their wedding unfashionably late for the groom, but with the sole purpose of calling it off.

Not many saw the kindhearted and considerate side of Nathan Stark; the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. She knew he could have simply not shown up at all and left her standing embarrassed in front of their family, friends, and colleagues. Instead they had talked for a few minutes, and she had changed out of her wedding dress before they made the announcement together so both of them could save face.

Allison wished she knew what they had said to each other. Looking back she'd had her own misgivings at the time, wondering if she was rushing into re-marrying Nathan for the wrong reasons, especially as she had not worked through her attraction to Jack. She'd brushed those concerns aside at the time, fully prepared to give her and Nathan a second chance.

From Vincent's gossiping, Jo discovered that after the canceled wedding the field had been left wide open for Jack to make his move on Allison - but he hadn't. Instead the other Allison had found herself in competition with Nathan over Jack, with the object of their affection seemingly oblivious to both their advances.

After that kiss in 1947 Allison knew Jack felt something for her in return but they had to play their new roles, which meant Jack had to back off. So despite Nathan's claim that Jack was oblivious, Allison knew it was all an act. Or at least it had started out that way, but now she wasn't so sure because she'd seen Jack looking at Nathan with more than passing curiosity since that revelation. He was careful, especially around her and Nathan, and if Allison hadn't caught his unguarded, wistful expression in a reflective surface just a few days ago, after some verbal sparring with Nathan, then she would have been none the wiser.

Confused by the longing in his eyes, she had run some background checks, but nothing in Jack's heavily redacted file implied he had an appreciation of both men and women. At college he had dated a cheerleader until she died in a car accident, and he hadn't date anyone else until he met Abby. He had spent most of his adult life married to Zoe's mother before coming to Eureka, and one of the many things Allison loved about Jack was that he was not the type to stray from his marriage vows.

It had hurt to see him interested in Nathan and even more so when she discovered that Jack was the source of Nathan's re-evaluation of his life, realizing that he wanted Jack more than he wanted her. It had made her aware that she might lose both of them... to each other, if they ever worked up the courage to take that step. Yet despite this she loved them both in different ways and she wanted them to be happy.

The only problem was that she wanted to be happy too.

Taking separate cars, Nathan followed her out to the off-site laboratory on Hippocrates Lane, where they found Jack waiting for them.

"Stark."

"Carter."

Allison rolled her eyes at the cool greeting before heading towards the laboratory. She was about to buzz for admittance when they heard a crash and shouting coming from inside. Jack pulled his service revolver and Nathan firmly pushed Allison aside as he entered his override code. The door hissed open and Jack went in first.

"Stay back," he ordered when Nathan made to follow.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

The creature was a giant, lumbering across the laboratory with its arms swiping aside pieces of equipment and notes off the bench tops. Smashed glass lay strewn across the floor, pieces of paper scattered amongst the broken tubes and upturned monitors. Jack spotted Johann Zomstein pressed into a corner, arms thrown up defensively as the creature rampaged around him. He took a bead on the creature, finger on the trigger.

"Shoot it! Shoot it!" Zomstein cried, but Jack's trigger finger froze as the creature turned to him.

The face was partially hidden behind a leather mask but Jack saw beyond the mask, beyond the visible criss-cross lines of stitches and discolored flesh, looking into pale blue eyes and seeing more than pain or mindless rage. He saw intelligence and horror, and he saw a memory of similar eyes in a face not too dissimilar from the scientist curled in fear in the corner of the laboratory.

The creature lumbered towards Jack, arms outstretched, groaning loudly.

"Jack!" Nathan cried out behind him, grabbing the nearest item he could use as a weapon and lunging forward; Jack grabbed Nathan's arm.

"No! It's Tomas Zomstein."

"What?" 

Jack half turned and caught Nathan's green-blue eyes widening in shock, moving from Jack to the giant form of the patchwork humanoid creature before Nathan looked hard at the cowering scientist.

"What have you done?" Allison demanded in horror.

Insanity replaced fear in Johann Zomstein's eyes. "What had to be done! You were going to have us redacted. I had to prove my theories of life after death. I needed a brain! A good brain! Not some half-wit like Carter 111," he spat out maliciously.

Jack let the insult slide right off him, slowly holstering his gun and stepping towards the creature with hands raised in a placating gesture. Nathan grabbed his arm again, and where Jack might have simply shrugged off the touch in the old time line, this time he placed his hand over Nathan's, feeling the warmth and letting his hand linger over Nathan's for a moment in reassurance.

"It's okay. He won't hurt me... Will you, Tomas?"

The giant crumpled to its knees, bringing it to eye level with Jack, and Jack let all his compassion show in his eyes as he reached out to the creature that housed the brain and eyes of Tomas Zomstein. It... He gave a sobbing moan, allowing the touch even as Nathan's hand landed gently on Jack's own shoulder to comfort him.

"You see! You see! I did it! I transcended death.

Jack's anger rose white hot, and as Nathan took his place comforting Tomas, Jack turned to Johann Zomstein, walking towards him menacingly.

"Doctor Johann Zomstein, you are under arrest for attempted murder and anything else I can find to throw at you." He turned to Nathan. "You got any objections?" he demanded, recalling how the old Nathan had loved to protect his scientists.

"No."

Jack blinked, some of the anger and tension easing away from knowing he wouldn't have to fight with Nathan over this. He nodded and pulled out his cuffs, snapping them onto the protesting scientist's wrists and dragging him away.

"You have no right! This is my work! My discovery! Let me go!"

Jack shoved him a little harder than necessary towards the door. He paused on the threshold, looking between the quietly sobbing creature, Nathan and Allison.

"Can you help him?"

"We can try," Nathan answered quietly, and Jack gave him a tight nod before taking Johann Zomstein away.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

An hour later, having arranged for Tomas Zomestein's transportation to the Medical department at Global, Nathan finally headed home only to find Jack waiting for him on his door step. He sighed, hoping Jack hadn't come to fight with him, especially as Jack had warned him that something was 'hinky' about Johann Zomstein a month earlier.

"Carter," he stated quietly.

Jack's lips twitched. "Earlier you called me Jack."

"Heard that, did you?"

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Were you really prepared to go up against a nine feet tall, four hundred pound _giant_ armed only with a _scalpel_? To protect me?"

"Obviously sleep deprived. So if you won't mind stepping aside, I'll fix that immediately."

"No." Jack blocked his path.

Nathan raised both eyebrows pointedly but Jack could be just as stubborn as him and Nathan really didn't have the energy to fight with him right now. He was tired, and the thought of all the paperwork generated by the Zomsteins was enough to set his head throbbing even harder. He should have redacted them last year when he had the chance, but having just learned about Jenna, he had been trying to keep Allison sweet so he'd have a chance to know his little girl. Publicly disagreeing with her over the Zomsteins - and siding with Jack of all people - would not have endeared him to her.

"You may as well come in then," he stated, hand indicating towards his door. The biometric sensor registered Nathan and the door opened. Nathan followed Jack inside, slipping past him in the hallway to lead them both into the kitchen. He paused by the refrigerator.

"Beer?"

"Sure. Why not. I'm not on duty and Jo is on call this evening."

Nathan took out two bottles and twisted off both caps before handing one bottle to Jack. He watched from the corner of his eye as Jack took a swallow, surprised he wasn't too tired for his libido to perk up and take notice, but Jack had that effect on him. The silence stretched but it was strangely companionable.

He stayed for an hour, nursing the one beer, while they talked about the Zomsteins and next steps. Eventually Jack swallowed the last mouthful and placed the empty bottle on the kitchen counter.

"S.A.R.A.H.'s expecting me home for dinner, and she gets a little... upset if I'm late so..." He thumbed towards the door and Nathan barely resisted a smirk until he recalled the B.R.A.D. incident.

Nathan walked him to the door and watched him go, smiling softly. Though still tired, the headache had diminished along with some of the tension and stress from the day, and he had Jack to thank for that.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Nathan rubbed a hand across his face and stared through the observation window at Tomas Zomstein. The patchwork body housing his living brain was slowly failing and Walter Perkins' was busy trying to clone a replacement using DNA on file for Tomas Zomstein as there was insufficient time to create an artificial body. There still remained the task of transferring Tomas to the new body but they were running out of time. His physical brain was also failing and Nathan was aware that the remaining thoughts, memories and dreams that made up Tomas Zomstein might not survive the transfer process intact.

On the other side of the glass, Jack had returned daily after taking Johann into custody, sitting beside the monstrous form. If Nathan hadn't already discovered how he felt about Jack then he would have fallen in love with him for this alone. He may have only had a 2.8 GPA, and tested at a 111 I.Q., but it occurred to Nathan that there was nothing average about Jack when it came to people. Jack's quiet strength, compassion, and empathy was helping Tomas hold on, stubbornly refusing Tomas the option of giving up and slipping away without a fight.

His cell trilled and Nathan answered, eyes closing in relief as Walter Perkins announced, "It's ready."

Two hours later, Tomas Zomstein opened the eyes of his newly cloned body. His brain had suffered some damage but Global had connections to some of the best medical personnel in the world, who would be able to assist him.

His final words before his transfer to Boston for therapy were a simple, "Thank you, Jack."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Jack sighed as he glanced at the wall clock.

For the past two weeks he had headed straight up to Global at the end of his shift to sit with Tomas because it seemed like the decent thing to do. Afterwards he would head up to Nathan's office to get a progress report but, more recently, they had agreed to meet in Café Diem, where they would end up having dinner together. After the first couple of times everyone stopped paying attention to them, and Vincent seemed especially pleased as Nathan had this ability to goad him into trying something different. He hadn't had a burger and fries in almost a week now.

At first Allison had been uptight about their casual dinner meetings. She'd been short with him on a few occasions, but over this past week it was clear that she had decided to move on from both him and Nathan, going out on a date with a scientist from Section 4. She seemed happier now - both in herself and for them. He was glad because she was an amazing, beautiful woman and she deserved to find happiness. He thought he would be the one to give that to her but was surprised when he realized his own happiness was tied to Nathan rather than to her.

Not quite sure what to do with himself now Tomas was on his way to recuperate in Boston, Jack packed up his desk ready to leave for the evening.

"Jack?"

Turning at the sound of his name, Jack was pleasantly surprised to see Nathan standing by the door but he smoothed his expression quickly, not wanting to give away his feelings.

"Nathan."

"You... free for dinner?" Nathan sounded as awkward as Jack felt.

"Yeah. I was just... Yeah." 

He cast a glance towards Jo, flushing slightly in embarrassment at the shark-like, knowing grin on her face. She had some how made him confess his feelings for Nathan to her. He still wasn't quite sure how that had happened, but she'd been teasing him mercilessly ever since. This awkward exchange between him and Nathan gave her more ammo, especially as it was the first time Nathan had sought him out.

"Café Diem?" Jack asked as he followed Nathan outside.

"Actually, I've already picked up dinner to go."

"O...kay. Your place or mine?"

"Yours," Nathan insisted. "I don't have an over protective A.I. for a house to appease."

"Yeah, S.A.R.A.H. does tend to get into a snit if I don't come home on time."

This time Nathan followed Jack into the kitchen once they reached the bunker and helped him set up plates while Jack wondered what he had picked up for both of them. He was surprised and pleased when Nathan unsealed two of Vincent's amazing cheeseburgers, with fries that tasted out of this world - for both of them.

"I bet this didn't go down so well with Vincent," Jack scoffed.

"Oh, you have no idea." But Nathan's smile proved it hadn't bothered him in the slightest being labeled a Neanderthal alongside Jack.

They talked of crazy scientists while they ate - of the mad Johann Zomstein's of the world - and at the end of the evening, Jack shocked himself by saying, "Don't go," when Nathan stood up, intending to leave. Nathan stared at him for a moment as if searching for a good reason to stay. He must have found it because he gave a slight nod and a soft smirk before reaching for Jack.

Hours later as Jack relaxed into Nathan's embrace, head pillowed on Nathan's shoulder, and feeling sated and relaxed for the first time in a long, long time, he felt Nathan's hand drifting over his naked body, across the small of his back and down further. He moaned softly in appreciation, his own arms tightening around Nathan's equally naked form. Jack raised his head high enough to share a gentle, tender kiss.

He felt as well as heard Nathan's sigh as that warm hand smoothed over the curve of Jack's ass. 

"Johann might have been crazy," Nathan stated softly. "And he might have been a creep," he added, nipping at Jack's lips. His hand molded around the firm ass cheek, drawing Jack even closer until they were pressed together from chest to thigh. "But he had excellent taste," he murmured before kissing Jack deeply.

END  
.


End file.
